Trouble at the Top
by Izziebizz
Summary: A new exciting year at Hogwarts but there's trouble brewing at the top! With a new teacher and old friendship reunited who knows what will happen! I want your reviews before I write another chapter so check it out!
1. A new teacher

A new teacher  
  
"C'mon Ron," shouted Harry down the corridor, "We're going to be late."  
"I wish he'd hurry up," sniffed Hermione, glaring at Ron through the corner of her eyes, "He's been acting rather oddly recently."  
"You reckon so?" asked Harry innocently.  
"Oh Harry!" sighed Hermione, exasperated, "You know I know you know what it is, so tell me!"  
"He just.", began Harry, "We just."  
"Alright guys?" said Ron, catching the pair up, "What've you nutters been nattering about then?"  
"Nothing!" said Hermione and Harry simultaneously.  
"Right.", mouthed Ron, frowning.  
"So," squeaked Hermione in a falsely bright voice after a few moments of silence, "We best be hurrying along, History of Magic starts in a couple of minutes and we want to get the best seats!"  
Ron rolled his eyes at Harry as they ran to keep up with Hermione who was striding down the passageway at such a pace she would've been likely to outstrip a racing car. The turned a sharp right and found themselves by the usual old door that lead into Professor Binns' classroom. They were the first ones there ("It's cos nobody else is a crazy to be excited about such a mind-numbingly boring subject," Ron had said) and they began a queue outside the classroom.  
"I'm really not looking forward to this lesson," sighed Hermione giving Ron and Harry meaningful looks.  
"What?" exclaimed Ron, "You mean you've finally realised that History of Magic is too dull to be bothered with?"  
"Ron!" screeched Hermione, "History of Magic is the key to the understanding of the wizarding world and how we came to be in the places we are now. It's also the factor that is a basis for."  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," yawned Ron, a nondescript expression on his face.  
"So why are you not looking forward to this lesson?" asked Harry, trying to break up the usual bickering.  
"Honestly!" squealed Hermione, indignant, "Don't either of you read the footnotes on your timetables?"  
"No."  
"We have footnotes on our timetables?"  
"Yes, we do!" snapped Hermione at Ron who looked sheepishly back at her, "And if either of you paid any attention whatsoever, which I doubt you ever will," Hermione pulled a stern face, an exact replica of Professor McGonagall, "You would've noticed that we no longer have History of Magic with the Ravenclaws."  
"Oh great," sighed Ron sadly, "They've stuck us with Hufflepuff. Again."  
"Well actually." began Hermione but she didn't need to go any further because a cold drawl of a voice spoke up from behind the three.  
"Ah look, the mudblood, potty and the weasel."  
Harry spun round. "YOU?"  
"Me, yes, well done potty your eyesight is improving! Perhaps you can get yourself some decent glasses instead of those bike tyres you have round your eyes. You really should've gone to Specsavers!" Draco Malfoy stood there, rude, malicious and still as blonde as ever.  
"Eh?" asked Ron, "Specsavers? What's that meant to mean?"  
"Malfoy grow up!" spluttered Hermione, stomping up to Malfoy, "At least Harry doesn't have to rely on immature muggle jokes just to get a laugh from a pair of blundering baboons!" She indicated to Crabbe and Goyle who were standing beside Malfoy and had been sniggering for the past five minutes.  
"I'd watch your mouth if I was you, mudblood," cried Malfoy callously, "My fathers pretty powerful. Your parents are muggles aren't they?"  
Hermione quivered. Harry rushed forward pulling his wand out of his robe pocket. Just as he was going to hit Malfoy with as powerful a curse as he could muster, a voice called from inside the classroom.  
"Zer will be none of zat pleeease. Come in all of you."  
"What?!" screamed Hermione.  
Ron's ears turned a violent shade of pink he and grinned at Harry. They entered the class room. Sitting on a desk was a teacher, and this teacher was definitely NOT Professor Binns!  
"Eugh!" whispered Hermione to Harry as they filed towards their desks, "So this is what you and Ron didn't tell me! What is she doing here?"  
"Don't tell me you're that slow to catch on Hermione!" smiled Harry cheekily.  
"But, but..", stammered Hermione, "Professor Binns he."  
"Quieten down pleeease children!" said the teacher.  
"Ugh, children are we?" whispered Parvati Patil to Lavender who had vacated the seat next to her.  
"Excuse me?" asked the teacher, frowning at Parvati, "I am afraid I don't know your name? If you would pleeease enlighten me?"  
"It's Parvati!", she snarled back confidently, "Parvati Patil!"  
"Parvati Patil what?"  
"Just Parvati Patil!"  
"No, no, no!", sighed the teacher, "When I ask you a question I expect to 'ear you address me formally as your teacher! Now try again Miss Patil. What is your name?"  
"Parvati Patil!"  
"What did I just tell you Parvati?"  
"Ok, ok!" sighed Parvati, pulling a grotesque face, "Parvati Patil, Miss Delacour!" 


	2. Whatever happened to Professor Binns?

Whatever happened to Professor Binns?  
  
"Bet you loved that Weasley!" snarled Malfoy as they left Miss Delacour's classroom, "Lessons with your girlfriend!"  
"Shut up Malfoy," said Ron through gritted teeth.  
"Oooh, good comeback Ron!" giggled Pansy Parkinson sarcastically, "'Shut up Malfoy' really scathing!"  
"What's up with your hair?" Harry asked Pansy in an innocent voice, "Or did you mean to look like a drowned pug?"  
Pansy turned violet, linked arms with Malfoy and strolled off, throwing evil looks at both Harry and Ron.  
"Er, cheers Harry," said Ron, looking at his toes.  
"You're welcome mate."  
"Have you seen Hermione?"  
"No, where is she?" Harry looked around. They had been standing outside Miss Delacour's classroom for a while and Hermione still hadn't come out. Ron and Harry turned around and listened attentively at the closed door. Somebody was crying! They both listened in silence as the sniffling kept on inside the room.  
"D'you reckon we should." began Ron.  
"Shut up for a minute." said Harry, listening intently.  
"Oh stuff that!" said Ron, "Hermione? Are you alright?"  
"Yes!" came a squeaky voice from inside, "J-just give me a m-minute."  
Harry exchanged a dark look with Ron. They waited for 30 seconds or more before seeing Hermione exit the classroom, her face was pale and her eyes were red and swollen.  
"Hey, Mione!" gasped Harry, running towards her, "What's up, eh?"  
  
Harry gave Hermione a big hug.  
"C'mon, what's wrong!" asked Ron in a sympathetic voice, "It can't be all that bad."  
"It is." managed Hermione before breaking down into more tears.  
"What is?" asked Harry urgently, "What's happened?"  
"Is it.is it something to do with." whispered Ron, ".to do with..you- k..i mean.Voldemort."  
Hermione slowly nodded and lifted her head out of her hands so she could speak to Harry and Ron.  
"It's Professor Binns." murmured Hermione faintly, "He's..gone."  
Ron looked at Harry, eyebrows raised. They were clearly thinking the same thing: What the hell?  
"Gone?" enquired Harry.  
"Yes, gone." whispered Hermione even quieter.  
"What happened?" asked Ron, a scared look in his eye.  
"It.he.when.ghost.never.Voldemort." Hermione collapsed.  
* * * * *  
"Move up Harry, let me sit down, you've been hogging that seat for ages."  
Harry and Ron were sitting side by side in the Hogwarts hospital wing. They had been there for about an hour since Hermione had fainted. She had woken up once and then fallen asleep with exhaustion so Harry and Ron had decided to stay with her.  
"Eventful first day back isn't it?" remarked Harry, turning his head towards Hermione.  
"Yeah," added Ron nervously, "What d'you think she was trying to tell us?"  
"I'm not sure." replied Harry, brow furrowed, "But whatever it was we need to find out, she seemed so.upset.and she said it was something to do with Voldemort."  
"I know, I've no idea what it could be, have you?"  
"Nope, not a clue, but it's important, just by the look in her eyes you could tell."  
Ron stared at Hermione's sleeping face.  
"C'mon Mione! Wake up!" Harry sighed impatiently, "This is important!"  
Hermione stirred in her hospital wing bed.  
"Hermione, are you awake?" asked Harry in a loud voice on purpose. He didn't care if Hermione wasn't awake, he and Ron needed answers!  
"Mmmll-nnnm?" came Hermione's yawning muffled answer.  
"She's awake now!" shouted Ron angrily at Harry.  
Harry stared in surprise. What was up with Ron? Surely he wanted to know why Hermione was crying? Why was he being so overprotective.  
"Harry." murmured Hermione quietly, "Ron!"  
"Yeah, we're here Herm" smiled Ron looking down on her.  
"Oh, Ron." sniffed Hermione, "It's..I.."  
She seemed lost for words.  
"Do you need to tell us something?" whispered Harry urgently, "Something important."  
Hermione nodded and cleared her throat.  
"It's Professor Binns." she began in a weak voice.  
"What about him?" asked Harry.  
"Why were you crying?" added Ron.  
"At the end of the lesson I went to ask that bleached blonde cow-" Harry half expected Ron to retort but he didn't so Hermione continued, "- where Professor Binns was. She wouldn't tell me. But I pestered her. I mean, Binns was boring wasn't he but he was a better teacher than her."  
"Yeah, and he hardly gave us any homework apart from the odd goblin essay," said Ron fondly.  
"Let Hermione carry on, Ron!" sighed Harry, exasperated, a tone of anger in his voice. Did Ron have to butt in like that? No, he didn't, but he had. Harry wished Ron would just shut up.  
Ron gave an inaudible whisper which could've sounded something like: Touchy!  
"Well-", Hermione took a deep breath, "She didn't want to tell me but I kept asking and she said she could tell me, if I didn't say, she said I was sensible enough to handle it. Stupid cow trying to butter me up."  
"Yes? What did she say?"  
"She said.sh-she said..". Hermione didn't seem to be able to say it.  
"Yes..yes.?" said Ron impatiently.  
"Th-that.." Hermione voice lowered to a soft whisper, "Professor Binns has been k.."  
"Killed?" asked Harry quietly.  
"Yes." came Hermione's reply.  
"Oh, come off it," frowned Ron inquisitively, "You can't kill somebody who's already dead!"  
"That's what I thought," said Hermione, her brown eyes roving and staring into Ron's blue ones. 


End file.
